Congratulations to our 2013 Candidates and Campaigns!

Dear friends,

The Advance Group family would like to send our deepest congratulations to all the Democratic candidates and progressive not-for-profits that we had the privilege of working with this season. This election cycle, even those who did not win were successful in adding value to our political dialogue. A particular shout out to those that won – some for the first time – and those that changed history. It was truly an honor to work with all of our clients every step of this journey. We believe their commitment to accountable government, progressive change, economic fairness and social equity will help make New York City a beacon of opportunity and a continuing model for the rest of the nation.

First and foremost, in the mayoral race we would like to congratulate the Anybody But Quinn campaign for its absolutely inspiring triumph over City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. The vision and courage of our founders and the efforts of the staff and volunteers these last few months prove that perseverance and hard work can overcome any hurdle. The few, as we have shown, can effect change though at times the odds seem insurmountable. ABQ exemplified the power of solidarity and grassroots mobilization. NYCLASS, CWA 1180 and political activist Wendy Neu first formed this independent expenditure campaign with the goal of ensuring that personal ambition no longer drives policy decisions as often typified Christine Quinn’s speakership. With this victory, New York City is closer than it has ever been to being a democracy in which the voice of the people matters most. We are so honored to have been a part of this noble cause.

In the borough-wide races we are proud to celebrate the victory of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. His re-election campaign was based on following through on the great work he started in the borough, including increasing affordable housing options, reducing crime and growing community resources. His reelection ensures that the 1.4 million people of the Bronx will continue to have tenacious progressive leadership they can count on.

In our city council races we elected three new members that we are extremely proud to represent. Mark Levine in the 7th City Council District received over 40% of the votes in a 10-person race. Mark has been a client of our firm since 2000 and this win caps a decade of collaboration between us. In Brooklyn 35th, we helped elect Laurie Cumbo to the City Council. Laurie’s commitment to the arts and understanding of the challenges of non-for-profits makes her voice a welcomed one at City Hall. Assembly Member Rafael Espinal in the 37th district successfully made the move from the state house to City Hall by overwhelming his challengers with grassroots support unmatched in any district. We are proud of them all.

We were equally successful in re-electing two members of the council. In Manhattan’s 10th, Ydanis Rodriguezdefeated 2 challengers. Another longstanding client, we have represented Ydanis since his first campaign. There has been was no stronger force in support of Occupy Wall Street and addressing disparity of wealth in our city than Ydanis. Of course in Brooklyn 40th, we successfully managed Dr. Mathieu Eugene’s re-electioneffort to ensure Caribbean Americans retain their voice in City Hall. Dr. Eugene stands out in the council on leading the way on issues of concerns to our city immigrants.

As we close the 2013 Primary Election chapter in New York City political history we invite you in to the new era of The Advance Group. At the beginning of this cycle we greatly expanded our staff and are thrilled by the work we have done. On Tuesday, in celebration of our success this cycle we launched our new website. This launch also includes the new Advance Group Blog to add to our comprehensive digital media platforms of Twitter and Facebook. Our site will be offering new content, information from our clients, breaking news, maybe some chatter, and contributions from our friends and staff.

We are excited for what is ahead, and look forward to working with you on new projects.